Since, then, as it were, by his last Will, thy most dear Son left us to thee, in dying, to be thy children, and gave thee to us, in turn, to be our Mother, we are fully assured that thou neither canst nor wilt contravene that Will, confirmed as it was by the Death, which instantly ensued upon it, of the Testator. To this Will, therefore, O most gracious Mother, let both parties be obedient; take us thou for thy children, and let us, with all dutiful worship and service, cling to thee as our Mother. Lavish thou upon us a mother's care, and we, in return, will render thee the reverence of sons. And though, exalted now far above us in Heaven, thou art happy in reigning with thy Son, still cease not, with mother's love, to cherish us thy children in exile; for this is the Will of thy Son, who not only gave himself to us through thee at his Birth,

but commended us to thee, his own dear Mother, likewise at his Death.

He has himself vouchsafed to become our Brother, and even our Father, as well as our Priest and our Sacrifice; and now that he sits at the right hand of his Father, he ceases not to be our Advocate. Even so, cease not thou to display thyself our merciful Mother and Patroness; the more so that thou standest so near thy Son, who can refuse his Mother nothing that she asks. So closely art thou united to the very Fountain of Mercy, whom of old thou producedst from Heaven to the unhappy children of Adam!

Turn, then, O Advocate of ours, thy eyes of mercy towards us. Propitiate now, and after this our exile shew to us the blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus, O merciful, Ŏ good, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

God is the channel of the divine mercy! and it is through her that we first received mercy on earth from the hand of our God. For she who was full of grace enclosed within her womb the very Fountain of grace, and caused it to flow over the whole world, even

to us.

What, then, may not such a Mother obtain, who is Queen of Heaven and Earth? Is there any thing that a Son can refuse to his own Mother? Therefore, in dangers, in distresses, in perplexities, think upon Mary, call upon Mary; let her not depart from thy lips, let her not depart from thy heart. And, that thou mayest obtain the suffrage of her prayer, abandon not the example of her life. Follow her, and thou wilt not stray; implore her, and thou wilt not despair; think upon her, and thou wilt not err; if she uphold thee, thou wilt not fall;

if she protect thee, thou wilt not fear; if she guide thee, thou wilt not tire; if she favour thee, thou wilt reach thy journey's end. So says the sweet St. Bernard.' Worship, then, the Mother of God in thy life, and thou shalt feel that thou hast worshipped one who is truly a Mother, in death and in all eternity. For to be worshipped and regarded as a Mother is assuredly her delight. For that she might be the Mother and Mediatress of sinners it was that she became the Mother of God.

1 Serm. 2, de Laud B. Virg.

The second Section of this last Part is intended to furnish various prayers and exercises for a happy death, suitable and profitable alike to the healthy, the sick, and the dying. Let none, then, despise or neglect them, as if they had no relation to themselves, but only to those who happen to be sick, or at the point of death.

But know rather that it is safest in health to begin to be conversant with practices by which it is thy wish to profit in illness, and in death itself. For it is they who take pleasure in such exercises when well, who will derive the most fruit from them when they are ill and dying. But it may be feared that those who disdain them when well and strong, will feel very little relish for them at the time of their death.

Therefore, read and meditate very frequently on these subjects. Nay more, die occasionally whilst thou art yet alive; assume, that is, in some

degree the character of a dying man, whilst thy powers of body and mind are still unimpaired. Do what thou wilt do, or wilt wish done for thee when at the point of death. What a man has loved and cheerfully practised during life will, doubtless, readily recur to him when he is going to die. But the remedies which have been little heeded or remembered in prosperity will not be ready at hand in the time of need.

The first edition of the Paradise contained in this place some very holy exercises, extracted from the sweet Soliloquies of Thomas à Kempis, for the healthy as well as the sick, most proper for lessening the love of their present life, and for quickening the desire of the life to come. But in this edition it has been thought proper to omit them, because I have lately published that little work, illustrated with notes, together with other very choice pieces by the same author in the VIATOR CHRIS